FCCA approves application to lift conditions set on the merger of TV4 and C More
The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (FCCA) has approved MTV Oy’s application to lift the conditions attached to the FCCA’s approval of the merger of TV 4 AB and C More Group AB in 2008. In its decision of 5 February 2015, the FCCA concludes that the Finnish pay-TV market has changed so much since 2008 that the conditions imposed on MTV at the time of the merger are no longer needed to ensure competition.
In order to protect distribution operators who sell pay-TV bundles to consumers and to allow for business planning, the FCCA nevertheless considers it reasonable to keep condition 1D, which stipulates that the MTV Max Formula channel must be sold separately, in force for a transition period ending on 31 December 2015.
Section 30 of the Finnish Competition Act gives the FCCA the authority to, “upon application, lift a condition attached to the implementation of a merger or mitigate it, due to a significant change in market conditions or another substantial cause”.
The FCCA’s decision of 5 February 2015 contains business secrets of the parties. The decision can only be published after the confidential information has been removed, which will take approximately two weeks.